Washington Nationals Projected by MLB Insider for Tough Year in NL East

The Washington Nationals made some moves that they hope will allow them to make some noise in their division this season.

Mar 14, 2025; North Port, Florida, USA; Washington Nationals left fielder James Wood (29) reacts after hitting a double in the first inning against the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park. | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

With spring training coming to a close soon for the Washington Nationals, the team is hopeful for the new campaign. 

There has been a lot of losing for the Nationals in recent years. Since winning the World Series in 2019, Washington has been a team in rebuilding mode. 

Fortunately, the light at the end of the tunnel might be getting closer with some impressive young talent emerging for the team. Players like James Wood and Dylan Crews are hoping to be the next great stars for the franchise for years to come. 

Furthermore, the Nationals put together a savvy offseason when it comes to upgrades. While the team did spend on free agents, they didn’t lock themselves into lengthy long-term deals. 

Some of these styles of moves will help them win more games in 2025, but also not handicap them in future years. 

With a nice offseason, the team will be hoping to see more wins. However, being better in the NL East will be no easy task. 

Jim Bowden of The Athletic (paid subscription required) recently predicted that the Nationals would once again finish in fourth place in the NL East. 

This shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise with the talented teams that are in the division. The New York Mets, Atlanta Braves, and Philadelphia Phillies are three of the best franchises in the entire league heading into 2025. 

Unfortunately for Washington, it doesn’t seem like any of those teams are going anywhere anytime soon. 

The Nationals can’t expect any of the three to have a significant downturn anytime soon, especially considering the spending capabilities of the Mets and Phillies. 

With this in mind, Washington being patient and not trying to rush their rebuild this winter makes a lot of sense. 

Even though the young core of the team is talented, some are still relatively unproven. Giving some of the young players another year to develop, especially in the starting rotation, will help paint a clearer picture of what the Nationals might need to spend on. 

More than likely, it will be to upgrade the starting rotation, but time will tell on that front. 

Overall, while a fourth-place finish is still likely, the team will want to see a win improvement. After winning 71 games each of the last two years, the franchise surely wants to get closer to the .500 mark. 

While a fourth-place finish might seem like another unsuccessful campaign, Washington could still have a good season despite the prediction.